User:JRicker,PhD/sandbox

Jerome Hirsch (September 20, 1922–May 3. 2008) was an American psychologist and a pioneer in the field of behavior genetics. His early research on geotaxis in Drosophila melanogaster initiated the use of quantitative genetic analyses into the scientific study of behavior. He served as president of the Animal Behavior Society, was instrumental in the founding of the Behavior Genetics Association, and was the Editor of the Journal of Comparative Psychology and the American Editor of Animal Behaviour. Late in his career, he became involved in research that identified XXXX. In 2006, the Behavior Genetics Association presented him with the Dobzhansky Award for significant lifetime contributions to behavior genetics. Throughout his career, Hirsch was a forthright critic of those making claims about the genetic provenance of group differences in complex traits such as intelligence..

Biography
xxxxxx.

Early Life and Education
Hirsch’s parents were Samuel M. Hirsch and Molly Hirsch (neé Barnett). His father was born in Romania and immigrated to the United States soon after 1900. His mother was born in New York City. Samuel and Molly married in 1916, gave birth to Ruth in 1917, and then to Jerry in 1922.

Hirsch attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School from 1934 to 1938. He then studied at Johns Hopkins University for two years. In 1940, he returned to New York to work at his father’s company, left in 1942 to serve in the United States Army Air Corps, and then returned in 1943 to again work in the family business.

In 1949, Hirsch matriculated at the University of Paris to study psychology. While there, he met Marjorie (Marge) Barrie, an American who was studying at the Sorbonne. They married on July 27, 1950, in Paris, and then returned to the United States, where Jerry had been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley. He attained the B.A. degree (with highest honors) in 1952, and then immediately entered graduate school at UC-Berkeley. During that time, Marge also enrolled there and eventually graduated with a degree in French Studies.

In graduate school, Hirsch was mentored by several prominent researchers. In psychology, he worked closely with Leo Postman (who chaired his doctoral dissertation committee), Edward C. Tolman, and Robert Tryon. In genetics, he was taught by Curt Stern. Although his .... [PUT SOME DETAILS HERE] He attained the Ph.D. degree in 1955.

Jerry and Marge gave birth to their only child, Wesley, in 1956.

Scientific Career
xxxx

Early Work
Edward C. Tolman and his student, Robert Tryon,

Postman

Geotaxis
Geotaxis (now called gravitaxis ) Origins

Hybrid analyses

Chromosomal substitutions

cDNA microarrays and single-gene mutants

Dipteran Learning
Hirsch and Benzer

Behavior Genetics Association
Hirsch hosted the organizational meeting at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign on March 30, 1970.

International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society
xxxx

Editorial activities
American Editor of Animal Behaviour (1968–1972) and the Journal of Comparative Psychology (1983-1988)

Editor of the 1967 book, Behavior-Genetic Analysis (TALK ABOUT INFLUENCE OF THIS BOOK)

Controversies (NEED BETTER TITLE)
Raymond Cattell

Arthur Jensen

J. Philippe Rushton

Effects on reputation:

[quote]Despite his centrality in the field’s early years, behavior geneticists came to ignore him as his critiques became increasingly strident of Jensen, his allies, and the field generally for adopting aspects of Jensen’s agenda…. [E]ventually many behavior geneticists would no longer recognize his work as part of behavior genetics, though it had not changed substantively. [/quote]

x

Significant publications
The following references provide a sample of the range of scientific and social issues that Hirsch addressed during his career.

Honors and awards
1987: Doctorat Honoris Causa, Université Paris 5 René Descartes, France (1987)

1994: Officier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques, which is presented by the French Ministry of National Education to academics who have made major contributions to French education and culture.

2006: Behavior Genetics Association Dobzhansky Award, which recognizes senior researchers who have made “outstanding lifetime contributions to the field of behavior genetics.”